Grumpy Cat: The internet sensation

The cat that captured our hearts and provided us with endless entertainment will not soon be forgotten. The hundreds of pictures circulating Facebook, Instagram and Twitter is a long lasting phenomena in a world of short lived fetishes. Hence my fascination lead me to writing this and to reveal a completely different cat than one I thought I knew.

Grumpy Cat is the definition of an overnight sensation, more so than Justin Bieber or electronic dance music. So here is the famous cat in a light you might not have known…

Grumpy cat was born in 2012 and her name is actually Tardar Sauce or Tard for short. She also has a less famous brother, Pokey. Also, Grumpy Cat is a she! Which may have been my greatest surprise. She was born with a form of dwarfism which caused the grumpy appearance.

When she was only five months old she shot to fame. Her ForeverHuman’s brother posted a picture of her on the Reddit site and not long after she had a manager and tours on the horizon, not to mention a book deal, a movie and countless interviews.

Here is a shortened review timeline of her life so far:

Grumpy Cat was named 2012’s Most Influential Cat by MSNBC.

The official Grumpy Cat book, Grumpy Cat: A Grumpy Book, was published in 2013, reaching #7 on the New York Times Bestseller List.

In September 2013 Friskies announced Grumpy Cat as their official spokesperson (spokescat). Friskies paid first class travel, private hotel rooms with king sized beds, chauffeur services, bottled water and a personal assistant. And here is me, my own personal assistant and my own chauffeur.

In 2014 the movie Grumpy Cat’s Worst Christmas Ever was released, just going to show the longevity of her fame. In my opinion it wasn’t the greatest film but we all know celebrities try their hand (or paw) at a little bit of everything.

As if all of this is not enough, The Misadventures of Grumpy Cat and Pokey was released in comic book form in 2015.

The wealth of Grumpy Cat is a sum I daren’t even say. In 2012 to 2014, Grumpy Cat (technically her owners living vicariously) raked in an astounding $100 million. Which was met by a lot of hostility, but they say don’t hate the players, hate the game.

In October 2016 Grumpy Cat made an appearance on a Disney Channel show, “Bizaardvark”. You may think Grumpy Cat is forgotten but alas not as charts show interest in Grumpy Cat is rising again.

With a still very active Twitter and Facebook account it is almost unimaginable to foresee her star fading. Grumpy Cat captured hearts and laughter everywhere. 2016 could have used more Grumpy Cat. Long live the cat queen.